Newsletter

Posted June 17, 2014 07:59 pm

Letter: Kansas' assault on Planned Parenthood

The Brownback ideology has taken down one more service to low-income families of Kansas, Planned Parenthood.

It is being forced to close the Hays health center to save clinics in Wichita because its federal family planning funding through Title X has been cut by the state, because some believe Planned Parenthood provides abortions with Title X monies, which is not true.

This did not have to happen, but the state intentionally left Planned Parenthood out of those receiving funding. Title X, which is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to family planning and reproductive health services for low-income and uninsured patients, has nothing to do with abortion. Cutting Title X funding could actually result in an increase in abortions.

In a study by Guttmacher Institute, family planning services at Title X-funded clinics helped prevent 973,000 unintended pregnancies in 2008, which would have caused more that 400,000 unintended births and more than 400,000 abortions. More than 90 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services are preventative and primary care.

President Nixon enacted Title X in 1970 to provide funding for patients at or below the poverty level. There is a sliding fee scale for low- to moderate-income patients. The crucial services provided are breast and pelvic exams, Pap smears and other cancer screenings, HIV testing, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy testing, counseling and affordable birth control.

Planned Parenthood has long been banned from using federal money for abortions.

A report from the National Family and Reproductive Health Association states Title X funding loss hurts a highly effective program that serves more than 5 million men, women and children annually and has prevented 20 million unintended pregnancies and 9 million abortions over the past two decades. The report further states every $1 invested saves almost $4 in Medicaid costs.